The Basics of "The Basics"
- Author: Brigitte Thompson, accountant and freelance writer
- Crystal Press, CA
- 90 pages
- List price $17.95
Summary
Thompson takes the freelance writer through the first steps of setting up a freelance writing business, including information on incorporation, banking and recordkeeping, all the way up to the parts of running a more established business, such as filing taxes and hiring others. Although the explanations are clear on their own, Thompson provides fully filled out example worksheets as an added value. All data is backed up by citations, such as specific IRS websites or forms, and the appendix also provides blank forms, saving users the time investment of creating their own.
Review
This book is a must have. Even as an established freelancer with an accountant husband, I was able to find some new and money-saving information- Thompson just goes into that much detail. In addition, the key to a book like this is clarity, and Thompson's prose is just that: clear, unadorned and full of explanation. I did feel that some of the information was dated- but Thompson may be looking at an annual update. The example contracts and bookkeeping sheets are, by themselves, worth the money, and new freelancers are especially counseled to sit down with a copy of this book.
Bottom Line
New, old, or in-between, any freelance writer would be smart to pick up this guide for their library (after all, it's tax deductible). This book, due to its specificity, really filled a need in the freelance writing world.
